OTRC: Paul McCartney wants India to declare national Vegetarian Day

Paul McCartney, formerly of the Beatles, has sent Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a letter urging his country to declare a national Vegetarian Day, the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) says.

Singh's office could not immediately confirm receipt of McCartney's letter on Tuesday, the Associated Press said. Many of India's 1.2 billion people are vegetarian, due mostly to financial and religious concerns. Killing cows is illegal in most parts of the country.

McCartney, 68, is a vegetarian and has supported the animal rights group since the 1960s, when the Beatles rose to fame as one of the world's most iconic rock bands.